LEWIS COUNTY
WATCH MOUNTAIN
Department of Natural Resources
13N-7E-33 Site #1
13N-7E-31 Site #2
13N-7E-33 Site #1
13N-7E-31 Site #2
c.1933 : Site #1, an L-4 ground house constructed.
July 29, 1955: "The U.S. Forestry Service, from its headquarters at Randle, has activated two forestry lookout points as ground observer posts. Watch Mountain lookout is manned by James E. Grafton, formerly of Lookout, W.Va..
They report by radio all aircraft sighted over their areas to the Randle headquarters for relay to the Seattle Filter center." (The Daily Chronicle)
They report by radio all aircraft sighted over their areas to the Randle headquarters for relay to the Seattle Filter center." (The Daily Chronicle)
August 9, 1955: "Watch Mountain lookout is manned by James E. Crafton, formerly of Lookout, W. Va. The lookout reports by radio all aircraft sighted over his area to the Randle headquarters for relay to the Seattle filter center." (The Daily Chronicle)
c.1963: Site #2, a 20-foot timber tower with a Department of Natural Resources cab erected on a site located half way between site #1 and Kiona Peak, or a little under two miles west of site #1.
1962-64: A replacement lookout tower was erected on Watch Mountain in Lewis County. (4th Biennial Report of the Washington Department of Natural Resources)
September 23, 1967: "The dry summer just past was a busy one for Miss Kenna Lagerquist of Randle, who spent her vacation from college as a Department of Natural Resources lookout at Watch Mountain in eastern Lewis County.
Miss Lagerquist reported for duty on June 19. She said she found her home atop the lookout not a bit lonely -- in fact she had a steady stream of visitors. Bear, deer, grouse and other mountain wildlife found her an object of curiosity and stopped by often." (The Daily Chronicle)
July 29, 1969: "John Vojtko, 31, had been visiting his aunt, Erika Ujbazi, a lookout tower firewatch in the Randle Ranger District. He left at about 2 p.m. Sunday to hike back to Randle but slipped and fell off a cliff on Watch Mountain, 3 1/2 miles northwest of Randle, and fell toward Watch Lake, one-quarter mile below.
He stopped his fall by grabbing a limb, 20 feet from the top of the cliff, and gained the safety of a small draw where he spent the night in temperatures ranging in the low 50's.
Two loggers of the St. Regis Paper Co., heard Vojtko's cries for help Monday morning and notified St. Regis officials and the Lewis County Sheriff's office shortly after noon.
The rescuers were able to find a ledge, about 20 feet below Vojtko's perch and made their way up the face of the cliff to a point above and to the left of Voltko. Two ropes were lowered. Vojtko tied one around his body and used the other one to walk himself down to the ledge where the other rescuers waited to take him to safety.
He did not require hospitalization, however, and returned to the lookout tower to spend the night." (The Daily Chronicle)